Here are the top 5 mistakes I see beginner investors make. |
These mistakes are ultimately why 90% of new investors will lose money. |
1. They don’t understand the investment |
If you don’t know how a company makes money, you won’t know how it can lose money. |
This adds unnecessary risk to your investment plan. |
This is a risk that can be avoided, but often isn’t, and why most investors are losing money. |
2. They sell at the wrong time |
There are only 3 reasons to sell an investment: |
– You found a better opportunity |
– The fundamentals changed |
– You met your goal |
All of these reasons have everything to do with your investment strategy. |
None of these reasons have anything to do with the stock price. |
The lesson? If you invest based on your analysis of a company, never sell because of the stock price. |
3. They invest on emotion |
Just because a stock price is falling doesn’t mean you should sell. Especially if nothing has changed about the company. |
And just because a stock price is rising doesn’t mean you should buy. Especially if the business is still run by poor management and has poor financials. |
Always remember, stocks are volatile in the short term, but the long-term trajectory is up. |
4. They want to break even |
Breaking even is when you refuse to sell the stock until it returns to its original price. |
When you do this, you lose money through: |
– Bigger losses |
– Opportunity cost |
You can incur bigger losses if the stock never recovers. |
And your opportunity cost increases the more your money is tied up with one investment. |
5. They invest what they can’t afford to lose |
There are risks to investing. |
You’re never guaranteed to profit and you might even lose money. |
So when you invest the money you need within the next year, you could end up with less than you originally invested. |
This is how your losses get locked in |